Hoisting and conveying machine



(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheen.

A. E. BROWN. HOIISTING AND CONVEYING MACHINE. No; 400,188. Patented-Mar.26, 1889.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

A. E. BROWN. HOISTING AND CONVEYING MACHINE.

Patented Mar. Z6, 1889.

FIG.3.

INVENTOR.

dizz JTT T WW- N. PETERS, Phmommnpbir, Wuhinxim 0.0

NITED STATES ,ATENT FFICE.

ALEXANDER E. BRO\VN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

HOISTING AND CONVEYING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 400,188, dated March26, 1889.

Application filed March 15, 1887. Serial No. 231,020. No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER EBROWN, of Cleveland, in the county ofCuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Hoisting and Conveying Machines; and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of thisapplication.

Myinvention relates to that class or type of hoisting and conveyingmachines in which the bucket or load to be lifted and traversed issuspended from a sheave-block, the laterallyprojecting journal oraxle-hubs of which are designed to be supported at certain times uponsuspension or sustaining hooks, combined with the traveling carriage ormachine of the apparatus.

Previous to my invention hoisting and conveying machines of this typehave been made in which either the laterally-projecting journals of thesheave-block (from which the load is suspended) were supported atcertain times in hooks or upon the supporting-shoulders, or someadjustable or movable device; but so far as I know no machine has everbeen made of this type (in which the sheave-block has to be raised andlowered by the action of the hoist-rope under the control of theengineer) with any sort of positively-engaging load-sustaining device,which is only capable of manipulation by some one at or in the vicinityof the locality at which it may be designed to lower and dump the load.

In many kinds of work which may be otherwise successfully and desirablyperformed by hoisting and conveying machinery-such, for

' instance, as the digging of ditches or sewers,

' control of the hoisting and lowering cable;

neither can the engineer who has control of this device permit or effectthe descent of a loaded vessel or tub except with the knowledge andco-operation of an attendant located in the vicinity at which the tub isto be lowered.

It will be seen that in a machine organized in such manner while loadssupported by the sheave-block and the hoist-rope connected therewithcannot be lowered except with the knowledge and co-operation of anattendant located at the point of work, it is impossible for theengineer to lower a load, either through carelessness or from amisunderstanding of the usual signals, at a time when the descent of theload might cause an accident or injury to some of the men in the ditchor pit.

I have devised and successfully employed a contrivance which fulfillsall the requirements of a perfectly-safe organization, capable, however,of expeditiously performing all the necessary operations of a hoistingand conveying machine; and my invention in this direction may be said toconsist, essentially, in the combination, with the machine or carriage,of a hoisting and conveying apparatus of the type mentioned, ofsustaining or supporting hooks adapted when in their normal position topositively engage with and hold up the projecting hubs of thesheave-block, and arranged and operating to permit the releasement ofthe latter whenever the load shall have been lifted by the engineerthrough the medium of the hoist-rope, for the purpose of allowing thedescent of the sheave-block (and the load connected therewith) at thepleasure of an attendant, who may, in a suitable manner, manipulatethesaid load-su staining hooks at any point along the line of thetramway.

To enable those skilled in the art to which my invention relates to makeand use the same, I will now proceed to more fully describe it,referring by letters of reference to the accompanying drawings, whichform a part of this specification, and in which I have shown myinvention carried out in that form in which I have so far successfullypracticed it, and which is about the best now known to me.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side or face view of a portion of awell-known form of trolley or traversing carriage for hoisting andconveying machines and showing my improvement applied thereto. Fig. 2 isan end or edge view of the same. Fig. 3 is a partial side view showingone end of the tramway and particularly illustrating the mode ofattachment of one end of the hoist-rope to a fixed anchorage devicesecured to said tramway.

In the three figures the same parts will be found designated by the sameletters of reference.

A A represent the metallic sides or body portions of the traversingmachine or carriage, and B the hoist-block, which is raised and loweredby the usual hoist-rope, R, that passes beneath and partially around itsgrooved wheel, and which is formed or provided with the usuallaterally-projecting hubs, C, which, when the hoist-block is at itshighest elevation, are drawn up into and loosely tit within thesemicircular housings l') of the metallic plates A of the carriage.

The hoist-rope R, it will be undersfiom'hhas one end secured or anchoredto a metallic anchorage device, I, which, as shown, is socurely boltedor secured at some fixed or predetermined point to the tramway T, nearone end of the latter, (see particularly Fig. 3 of the drawings) and hasits other end wound on the drum of the hoisting-engine, all in the usualand \VQllJUIClGISiOOCl manner.

F represents a pair of supporting-hooks, which at their upper ends aremade fast to a journal or stud, G, which passes through and revolveswithin a suitable bearing-box, ll, arranged about centrally near theupper part of the machine. These hooks, which are arranged to swing inclose proximity to the outer face of the side pieces, A A, of themachine, are formed, it will be seen, at their hook portions f, of suchshape that the lower portions of the peripheries of the hub-likeprojections C may rest within and be supported by said hook portions f,the latter en1- bracing or encircling the portions to an extent nearlyor quite equal to one-half of a circle.

One or both of the lower opposite ends or holes of the two hooks may beformed or provided with a hole, as seen at g, by means of which a hook,cord, or other device may be secured or applied for the purpose ofpermiting an attendant located at some distance below the machine toconveniently manipulate said hooks in a manner and for a purpose to bepresently explained.

I is a draw-bar or pull-bar, one end of which is pivoted to one of thehooks F, as shown at 1., and the other end of which is formed orprovided with a piston or face-plate, Z, which works within a cylinder,L, one end of which is tied by a rod, 011., to a fixed point on themachine, and within which is arranged a spiral or coil spring, 0,against which the faceplate or piston Z presses. This spring drawbardevice performs the function simply of pulling the hook constantly inthe direction indicated by the arrow drawn at Fig. 1, for the purpose ofkeeping it up to its normal. or working position, the lowermost ends ofthe hooks being shaped as shown, so that when I drawn over by the springdraw-bar against i stop I (or into the position seen at Fig. 1,) g theascending hub device C, striking against y the lower surfaces of thehooks, will act upon them on the principle of a cam and swlng l them inan opposite direction to that indicated by the arrow at Fig. 1 untilsaid hublike devices shall have passed upwardly by the extreme points ofthe hooks, when the latter, actuated by the spring draw-bar, will returnto the position seen at Fig 1, in which, whenever the hubs i shall havebeen slightly lowered, they will embrace and support said hubs, asshown.

Of course, it will be obvious tothe skilled mechanic that variouschanges as to the forms and proportions of the parts shown, as

of the devices, may be made without changing the alleged novel principleof construe tion and mode of operation of my improved eontrivance. Itherefore wish it to be understood that i do not wish to limit my claimof invention to any precise details of structure so long as the machineembraces the novel characteristics hereinbefore explained.

Of course, some other means than the spring draw-bar may be employed forcausing the hooks to be positively and reliably brought always into aworking position, or the gravity of the hooks may be relied upon forthis purpose, although I consider it better to have some actuatingdevice to insure the return always of the hooks to the proper positionfor the resting therein of the hubs of the hoist-block after the hooksshall have been pushed one side by the ascent of said block.

hat I claim, broadly, as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

The combination of the following-named instrumentalities: first, anysuitable tramway; second, a tramway-carriage or trolley mounted totravel on said trannvay; third, a hoist-rope having one end secured to astationary point of attachment and the other end connected with thehoist-engine in the usual manner; fourth, a sheave-block in engagementwith said hoist-rope, and which is supported by said rope only whenbeing raised or lowered; fifth, the hooks F formed with depressed seatsto accommodate the engaging devices of the sheave-block, and from whichsaid devices can be released only by lifting the sheave-block, and,sixth, suitable means for the manipulation of said hooks by anattendant, said combination of instrumentalities operating substantiallyin. the manner and for the purposes set forth.

In witness whereof I have herernto set my hand this 31st day of August,1886.

ALEXANDER E. BROWN.

In presence of E. T. ScovILL, CHAs. W. KELLY.

' well in the V precise arrangement together

